By July 4, on menus everywhere in the city, spring is gone. Click here to learn how to. GH: Hey, what about that Connecticut-style lobster roll? Theres no real nod to local stuff. Did she approve? DF: Is that happening? Thats where we come in. The cocktail list is pretty short, and the drink I had was fine, although my wine was too warm and I felt weirdly typecast as, like, a Riesling Mom by our server. Thanks to the tiny citrus salad, there was some acidity to it. There are no jobs currently available at Ramsays Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay. So fruity! And, you can get weekly email updates on the latest job openings here. The toasted bun had just the right airy crispness. I used to think it was secondary in casual places, and that if they had the basics down and the food was great, that was all that counted. (As it should have been: It was $29.) GH: Beef Wellington is one of those recipes that every chef cooks at some point in their career. I would say this version (attributed to Ramsays mum) was good, not great: I like that kind of dessert to have a little more complexity, to be darker and deeper than this was. DF: What about the boring little boiled turnip and carrot on the side? GH: In the picture on the website, the boiled carrot and turnip are there. Your local Indian restaurant is going to do a lot better. When he partners with Elon Musk on space flights, theyll be there too. Subscribe to e-licious for weekly updates on Boston's culinary scene. It mostly reminded me how much I dont love filet mignon, although I did appreciate the assertive, flavorful layer of mushroom duxelles. On the up side, there are plenty of other open positions here. Sure, the pork belly could have used a bit of caramelization and a hint more salt. Gordon Hamersley: First of all, Devra, thanks for inviting me, and I will just say that as a former Boston restaurant chef, dining with you is a little weird to start with. Located in the Mandarin Oriental in Back Bay, Ramsays Kitchen has been swamped since it opened at the end of January. Like the crab cake, the dish was $29; lobster prices, all prices, are high, and unfortunately for the consumer this isnt a crazy price for a lobster roll in a Boston restaurant right now. Restaurants get mistaken for charities by some diners, but if a server cant turn tables with grace and efficiency, the house aint going to make it long term. Email feedback@bostonchefs.com, Jobs at Ramsays Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay, get weekly email updates on the latest job openings here. Just a few wee bites! Theres almost never much wrong with scallops and pork in any form. And everything was doused in butter not too much butter, but the amount of butter just before too much butter, which is to say the right amount of butter. The Ramsay Wellington we had I thought was well executed, tasted just right, and lived up to the classic standard. DF: Yep, thats a really good question. The decor is pretty generic. Is this the opening salvo for menus to come, or is this the menu thats etched in stone forever because thats what hes going to do in Miami, Denver, and so on and so forth?

The duxelles, while cooked until almost dry, can also throw some moisture, as will the pt and mustard, so each step must be done perfectly or the meat will taste boiled. The jumbo lump crab cake, which the server recommended highly, was our first taste of that. The e-mail subject line was almost too good to be true. Maybe thats what he uses globally. Gordon Ramsay is a huge star, and with that comes a branding/imaging program with no limits. Not that it stopped me from eating it! It was seasoned very lightly with Old Bay, I think. The e-mail subject line was almost too good to be true. GH: We should give him a mulligan. It was pretty, with celery leaves and herbs scattered across the top, and claw meat laid strategically across the top so it looked like a little orange fin. I imagine the Boston chefs are being schooled to get the basics right.

Do I wish wed gotten Ramsay at his Michelin-starred best? Got feedback? It was a fine example of how ingredients that seemingly might not work can come together to create more than their parts. GH: No, I just made that up. GH: Service can make or break a whole evening. DF: I want your expert take on the beef Wellington, a signature dish of Ramsays. I felt like it was very responsive at Ramsays Kitchen, albeit with a good-humored shtick, and I definitely got the sense we were on a tight schedule for the next seating. DF: There was so much crab! Did he read us well? Ramsay knows classic technique well; its his stock-in-trade. After cooking and resting, the pastry is cut open to reveal perfect medium-rare beef. But such a pleasure to have you at the table. Theres no real nod to seasonal stuff. Whats going to happen at Gordon Ramsays restaurant? Poking a tiny hole in the pastry allows the steam to escape for more insurance against a flabby crust. DF: You brought desserts home to Fiona. Service sets the tone of everything, and reading a table, timing courses, and ultimately dropping a check and being ready for the next group is exceedingly difficult to do well. But Im willing to own that my failure to love the dish was mine, not the dishs. [Laughs] The thing that was most striking to me on this menu was its lack of regard for the seasons. I wasnt surprised at the level of cooking at all. Eating at a Ramsay restaurant is as much (or more) about Ramsay as it is about the food. Is this meant to be a restaurant for the locals, or mainly for the steady stream of tourists passing through Back Bay? Her assessment: They were bloody delicious.. That caramelization not only locks in moisture but also provides an added layer of flavor. But its been years since we closed and years since you judged my food, so, RIGHT, lets eat! And when the restaurant first opened, there he was in person, with his spiky blond hair and culinary chops. Follow her on Twitter @devrafirst. We used to make sticky toffee pudding from September until March or until the pastry department threatened to quit. Then we both wanted to order the scallops for all the wrong reasons: We thought wed probably hate the dish. I compared it with the menus at London restaurants like Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill, and it is pretty similar. Beef Wellington at Ramsays Kitchen, Gordon Ramsay's recently opened restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental. Heres what happened when one culinary Gordon went to another culinary Gordons restaurant. Gordon Ramsay during an interview with the Globe at Ramsay's Kitchen in February. If it had a really strong bar program or a slightly more eccentric menu, that would have been welcome. Ramsays Kitchen, the new restaurant from UK celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. The only thing wrong with it was what made us fight it out for stray morsels: There was so little lobster! Think about it. GH: Yep, I was looking forward to hating this dish. The salt and spicing came largely from the other components on the plate. Reach the areas best qualified and most dedicated professionals. GH: I look forward to seeing how the restaurant matures. Chef and author Gordon Hamersley in his home kitchen in 2015. Your guide to staying entertained, from live shows and outdoor fun to the newest in museums, movies, TV, books, dining, and more. We wanted to be left alone to chat and eat and look around, but Ill never criticize any server for being over-the-top pleasant, which this one was. A reduction of red wine and demi-glace is usually served on the side. As for the portrait of the other Gordon, while certainly not our style and it probably would not even occur to the great chefs of Boston to have a huge image of themselves be the only artwork on the wall I get it. His portrait sits at the end of the dining room: Lest you forget where you are, monsieur, here is a little reminder., DF: Totally weird to be dining with you too! It just sounded dated and sweet and busy, involving pork belly and chicken jus plus apricot puree, pomegranate. Devra First: Good morning, Gordon H. Last night we had dinner at Ramsays Kitchen, celebrity chef Gordon R.s first Boston outpost. What would Jody Adams, Ken Oringer, or Ana Sortun have envisioned for it? And a little TV presence never hurts. Bravo! It was still sticky toffee pudding. The thing that struck me was that proteins, still the center of the plate here for the most part, would be perfectly cooked but barely seasoned. This is a rich dish, and a well-balanced red wine sauce really cuts the recipes richness. DF: How important do you think service is? Can I borrow your wig? Fans of Ramsays restaurants (some of them Michelin-starred), television shows such as Kitchen Nightmares and Hells Kitchen, and brash style flocked to experience his food for themselves. We both loved the Eton mess. He and restaurant critic Devra First would go together to, Located in the Mandarin Oriental in Back Bay, Ramsays Kitchen has been swamped. I understand its a hotel restaurant, but so was Eastern Standard. 774 Boylston St., Back Bay, Boston,857-289-0771,www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com/en/us/ramsays-kitchen. Not surprisingly, I was wrong. But at least the menu is vegetarian friendly. So, one of my favorites. The aigre-doux reduction of chicken and pomegranate molasses worked its magic, and I found myself mopping the last bite of pork belly through it the taste missing in the belly on its own. I was reminded of the fabulous portrait of Paul Bocuse in his iconic palace of French culinary tradition. Done well, it is a sublime, elegant dish that has many steps. I mean, any chef who says theyre perfectly comfortable hanging out with the Globe food critic is being disingenuous. Frankly, Im used to much more assertive seasoning, and I longed for extra mustard and pepper that so complement the sweetness of the crab.

Three sweet elements, each with very different properties, brought balance to the dish. My hope for this space initially was that a new Eastern Standard would open here, and I dont think Ramsays Kitchen brings energy to the neighborhood the same way that would have. Im not going there. DF: And dessert is dessert. I dont think anyone recognized you without the Red Sox cap, although the excellent French wine-themed tie was kind of a tell. I dont remember ever seeing one of you at Hamersleys Bistro. Agree about the portrait: Its honest. We'd love to hear it. Perhaps not completely. GH: She scarfed them down at 1 in the morning. As for timing, I looked at my watch when the main courses were cleared and thought, OK, this is just where we should be right now. It was one of my favorite things we ate. And I could have used triple the amount of the very good, citrus-y aioli. Tender beef slathered in Dijon mustard with mushroom duxelles and either pt or prosciutto, all wrapped up first in a crepe and then in puff pastry, it is cooked in the oven until golden-brown. So little filler! Lets discuss! Well try it next time. There is this beautiful little oyster bar, but no ones paying it any mind. Filet mignon has very little fat and therefore just doesnt have the kind of beef flavor were used to, so its vital when making Wellington to salt and pepper the meat well and get a good hard sear on the beef. Devra First can be reached at devra.first@globe.com. But a lemon wedge and some remoulade would have gone a long way. Youre in New England and youre about to get into the growing season. Our server was definitely attentive, very enthusiastic, and enjoyed taking care of us. Run by Black journalists at The Boston Globe, Black News Hour, a new radio program, delivers reliable news that connects with our community and expands on deeper issues impacting our city. But at that point, I might rather pay $34 and get some actual lobster in my lobster roll? As for the crab cake, the server got the description right: a massive portion of crab held together by some breadcrumbs, crispy on the outside, warm on the inside. He and restaurant critic Devra First would go together to Ramsays Kitchen, the new restaurant from UK celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay. Gordon Hamersley chef of the beloved South End restaurant Hamersleys Bistro, cookbook author, and Globe cooking columnist had a brilliant idea. I tried to be dignified about this, but obviously I failed. Once everything is neatly encased in pastry, it gets cooked in the oven at high heat, and essentially the pastry cooks and gets golden-brown but the inside actually steams. It would be interesting to know how the economy of scale works in a big empire like that. GH: Interesting to wonder if a Boston chef had taken the space if the vibe would have been different. But all that fruit worked really well. GH: I am mystified by how chefs like Ramsay are able to juggle multiple locations, concepts, and countries and keep quality high. But there is much to go wrong if each element isnt done right. As it is, the feel is a little corporate and somewhat disappointing. GH: Dessert was fun! This wasnt a leisurely dinner with chat time between courses. Theres also a beet burger. 2022 BostonChefs.com Because its so plausible. I love fruit and meringue desserts; I love all the different textures as the meringue and the cream settle in together. There hasnt been a kitchen I worked where it hasnt been part of some menu. I dont know how they manage. Being married to an Englishwoman who adores both Eton mess and sticky toffee pudding, this was familiar territory for me. It felt like something was missing. The lobster was perfectly fresh and tender. The jumbo lump crab cake at Ramsays Kitchen. That, I think, is very different from how the average good, thoughtful Boston chef would approach their menus these days. DF: Or Trader Joes. DF: Should we talk about the chickpea tikka masala?

DF: Loved it. Thats if Im allowed back in there, or anywhere in Boston after eating with you! My first impression everyones first impression, really, upon visiting was the ginormous portrait of Ramsay Himself inside the entrance. But how would the restaurant fare once Ramsay left, back to the business of being an international celebrity chef? It just sounded dated and sweet and busy, involving pork belly and chicken jus plus apricot puree, pomegranate, and cara cara orange. I think it was my vision of the fruit bomb that turned me off. But I guess restaurants like Ramsays Kitchen bankroll the Restaurant Gordon Ramsays, and the lauded flagships lend an aura that gets customers into seats across the board. A server gets paid mostly by the guest, is employed by the chef/general manager, and has to negotiate in an intensely pressurized atmosphere with often differing needs all night long and do it with a smile. And the menu itself is pretty conservative. Regardless of the menu choices, I found the cooking at Ramsays Kitchen to be technically quite solid better than Id thought it might be, to be honest. Can you tell its one of my favorite things to cook? And what would one longtime Boston chef think of the new arrivals spot? Im saying you liked it? Youre right about the cut of beef. Gordon Hamersley chef of the beloved South End restaurant Hamersleys Bistro, cookbook author, and Globe cooking columnist had a brilliant idea. I am literally laughing as I think what [wife and Hamersley Bistro co-owner] Fiona and our staffs reaction would have been if Id showed up one day with a 10-by-20-foot portrait of myself and asked where they thought we should put it. Then we both wanted to order the scallops for all the wrong reasons: We thought wed probably hate the dish. I dunno. But hate it I didnt. Business is business. We have tomatoes on the vine; we have pomegranate seeds on the scallops. Black News Hour presented by The Boston Globe. Of course. And a great sticky toffee pudding can be transcendent. To keep the crust from sogging, the crepe layer is crucial. Apricot has a round, rich sweetness; the orange is mild citrus; and the pomegranate a jolt of exploding acid, and that was the kicker. The way to get the best of the dish is to pile a fork with a bite of every element and let those flavors loose on your palate. The way we fought each other to see who could devour it faster kind of looked like a round of WWE in action.